Sahara Dust
by Plaited Oodleplexes
Summary: Collection of fill-in-the-blanks to cover what the movie doesn't. Inspired by the overlap between the songs "The Madness of King Scar" and "Shadowland" from the musical. Into the Lion's Den: Nala confronts Scar about his mismanagement of the Pridelands.
1. Awakening

Golden eyes, their metallic irises filled with sorrow and pain, gazed out across the savannah. They belonged to a lean young lioness - lean not only from her already slim build, but also from going hungry more than once after the leader of her pride and his hyena cronies had gorged themselves on the prey that she had killed, leaving only shards of bone and scraps of skin for the lionesses. Lions cannot cry, but her heart wept bitterly over the death of her King and the destruction of the Pridelands.

_O, Mufasa, your death is most bitterly mourned by all those left behind._

Indeed, the land itself seemed to have put on mourning for the death of the great King Mufasa. Grey blanketed the dusty landscape, the sun obscured by dismal clouds that seemed forever on the brink of rain that never came. The formerly innumerable wildebeest herds had grown few and far between; the gazelles and antelopes vanished entirely. Hyenas were the only movement visible from the lioness's hiding place atop the outcropping of sandstone, their cruel cackling echoing painfully in her sensitive black-rimmed ears.

The soft padding of paws across harsh stone alerted her to the presence of another on the ledge, and she spun, crouching for combat. She hurriedly straightened, though; when she realized that the approaching figure was not Scar, but the bowed, greying one of Sarabi. "Sarabi," she said respectfully, dipping her head in respect.

Crossing the last tail-length, the dowager Queen gently cuffed the younger lioness, forcing her to raise her chin. "None of that, now, Nala. If he saw you acting like that..." Sarabi let her words trail off, sadly settling to the ground next to where Nala had been sitting.

"Yes, Sarabi." Nala returned to her perch.

The two lionesses sat in silence, the weight of the Prideland's ruination bearing down heavily on two tawny backs. After a while, Sarabi stirred.

"It angers you, doesn't it." Her question was more a statement, something the elder lioness knew for certain.

Nala considered this for a moment, searching her heart. Anger was there, for certain, but until Sarabi had spoken, it had been buried underneath the suffocating sorrow and constant worry that Scar was going to do something else. Now, though, it pulsed like heat lightning - small, yet sharp. "Yes, it does." Her claws made scraping noises as she subconsciously tried to knead the stone beneath her paws, lip lifting in a silent snarl. "He has no right to do this - no right to destroy us. Because he is, you know. As sure as the herds are gone, as sure as the waterholes are drying up, he is destroying the Pridelands, and us with them."

Sarabi nodded, closing her eyes to hide the pain that had burrowed into the very core of her being, gnawing away more and more of her every day since Mufasa's death. "Mufasa - he always said that the pride – the king - was tied to these lands, flourishing and suffering with them."

Hesitantly, Nala touched her tail to Sarabi's, offering comfort, forcing back her own loss. _Simba._ The elder lioness looked up, met Nala's eyes, expressing wordless thanks.

"Something must be done." Was that hard, cold voice her own? Nala stood, her mind made up, and began to pick her way down towards the main den. _Maybe he will listen._

"Nala, where you going?" Alarmed, Sarabi sprang to her feet. "Nala, he's insane, don't go in there."

Firmly shutting out Sarabi's calls, Nala took a deep breath, then coughed from the stench of hyenas. Bones crunched underfoot as she started forwards into the cave. _For the pride._

_A/N: Now that I'm rereading this, I'm considering continuing with "fill-in-the-gaps" bits, to cover where the movie does not. Thoughts? Criticisms? Cookies? Hit review.  
_


	2. Into the Lion's Den

**Previously...**

_Firmly shutting out Sarabi's calls, Nala took a deep breath, then coughed from the stench of hyenas. Bones crunched underfoot as she started forwards into the cave._

_For the pride._

* * *

Muffled voices echoed up to the mouth of the dim cave as Nala picked her way around the gruesome remains of past meals. The cracked bones and rancid smell were a stark contrast to her cubhood memories of a clean, brightly-lit Pride Rock, of a powerful and beloved King, of a best friend and playmate...

_Simba._

Unbidden, his face rose up in her inner eye, teasing smirk firmly in place and dusty gold cub-coat just beginning to fall out. Nala swallowed hard, resting her forehead on the cool rock wall for a moment. What would he look like today, she wondered, had he survived the stampede?

The stampede. It had been Nala's mother, long-sighted Sarafina, who had spotted old Rafiki approaching Pride Rock, bearing the body of Mufasa. Sarabi and Sarafina had run to the monkey, and when Sarabi saw her mate's body, her anguished roar had shaken birds from the trees.

In the chaos and confusion of the King and heir's deaths, it had only seemed natural for Scar to take over the day-to-day affairs of the Pride. Nala could still hear his oily, twisting words as he manipulated and schemed his way through or around everyone who could have, should have stopped him.

Including Nala.

That was a bitter thought indeed, one that Nala shied away from, but it was true. She should have seen what Scar was up to, should not have let her grief blind her to his trickery. Maybe then the Pridelands would not be gray and drawn, like a carcass after hyenas had been at it: cracked and dry, the very life and marrow sucked out. If she could have only inherited her mother's clear-seeing talent, if only she had…

Irritably, Nala shook her head, flicked her ears to clear them of spider-webs from the wall, and resumed her trek into the heart of Pride Rock. She could easily cover the distance in less than a minute, but running with so many scattered bones would simply invite stray fragments to stab her paws.

A few moments later, the lioness could distinguish individual voices, though not words: Scar was conferring with his revolting hyena cronies, likely about how best to bleed the Pridelands even further dry. The thought pulled back her lips in a soundless snarl.

As if summoned by her anger, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed slunk up the corridor, sniggering among themselves. "Stupid bird."

"Yeah. You think Scar'll let us have him soon?"

The stupid hyena, Ed, spotted Nala and nudged the other two, babbling incoherently. Shenzi, the big female, swatted him irritably. "What, Ed?"

Banzai leered. "It's pretty little Nala, that's what."

"Nala." Shenzi prowled forward, trailed by the other two. "Little Nala..."

The lioness in question bared her teeth and crouched, ready to spring. "I shredded you once, carrion-breath, and I was barely a cub. D'you think you'll be luckier now that I'm full-grown?"

The hyenas growled and postured a bit more, but eventually sidled past, flinching when they brushed her fur. Once they were gone, Nala straightened up, resolve newly strengthened, and crossed the last few lengths to the den.

"Immortality will be mine!"

"Scar." she said, stepping around the corner into the den.

"Ah, Nala. Your timing couldn't have been more perfect." the lean king said, turning around from Zazu's cage. He eyed her appreciatively. "_My_, how you've grown."

The feel of his yellow-green gaze made her skin crawl, but she forced back her revulsion, picking her way over bones to confront him. "Scar, you have to do something. We're being forced to over-hunt!"

"You don't say..." he purred, getting up and beginning to circle, saying to himself, "She's got those assss-ets feminine..."

Nala turned, and turned, keeping Scar from getting behind her. "You're the king, control the hyenas!"

"I have to make her mine."

"You're destroying the Pridelands." she accused, but he didn't seem to hear the anger in her voice.

"Nobility in every gene."

"Look, if you stop now, don't you see-"

"She has to be my queen." he interrupted abruptly.

_Queen? What?_ She shook the thought away and tried again. "There's still a chance for things to be all right again."

Suddenly, he was up against her side, close enough for her to feel the bones in his ribs. He pushed his hard, gaunt muzzle against her head, tail flicking back and forth across her hips. "Come sweet Nala, it's written in the stars..." he murmured into her ear, breath hot and heavy on the trembling nerves.

Nala backed away in revulsion, suddenly scared. "Wait...what are you doing? Are you listening to me?!"

Scar followed, stepping over a wildebeest femur, still talking. "We'll create a host of little Scars!"

"What are you talking about?" Her tail met the wall: she could run no further, and the exit was on the far side of the den.

Step by step Scar advanced, until his whiskers brushed hers, his breath coming in short, hard pants. His eyes gleamed. "Tell me I'm adored."

"Get away from me!" Crouching defensively, she raised a paw in warning, sharp claws reflecting the dim light. Another moment, and the mad king would be on top of her!

"Tell me I'm ador-aaaagh!" The strength of her swipe sent Scar tumbling across the den. He lay there a moment, breathing hard, then touched a paw to his cheek and looked at the resultant blood in surprise as Nala took advantage of the moment to dart across to the exit.

"Na_la_." Reluctantly, she met his eyes. "You know how I _loathe_ violence." She backed away as he climbed back to his feet. "One way or another, you _will_ be mine."

"Never, Scar. Never!" As she turned and fled, his voice followed her up the tunnel.

"You belong to me..._you all belong to me_!"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Life is crazy, and the muse has been...uncooperative. As always, I welcome opinions.


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